"When discussing ecological conservation, people often see it as a highly technical or lofty idea that doesn't seem relevant to them, so we work to promote and advocate it." Mr. Zheng Zhong-jie, the Secretary General of Wetlands Taiwan, pointed out that initially, the focus was on conservation during wetland operations. However, since the primary purpose of each habitat varies at different stage of development, they gradually adjust to zone management. Some areas are designated as open spaces to attract people to engage with the wetlands, helping them go from unfamiliarity to embracing Wetlands Taiwan's philosophy in a fun and accessible way.

The "Multi-Employment Promotion Program" Helps Jacana Find the Way Home
Chouchai Wetland, next to the Lotus Pond in Zuoying District of Kaohsiung, was originally the "Zuoying No.1 Park" in Kaohsiung City's urban project. The first official record of the Pheasant-tailed Jacana was written by Mr. Robert Swinhoe at Zuoying in 1865. The wetland area was once covered with rice paddies, water caltrop, and farmlands. Later, human land development destroyed the habitat of the pheasant-tailed Jacana, and the land was planned as a folk arts park. At that moment, there was no civil group promoting wetland conservation. In 1996, "Taiwan Wetlands Conservation Alliance (Wetlands Taiwan)" was established, and after many discussions with the government agencies, it built the place as a biologically oriented wetland park.

To conserve Chouchai Wetland, there are not only the professional staff of the Alliance who often stay at the Wetland, but also volunteers who host a variety of activities to promote the importance of wetland conservation. However, the Alliance's staff was not enough during the operation, and it needed a well-designed plan and a systematic process. Therefore, Mr. Zheng Zhong-jie applied for the "Multi-Empowerment Promotion Program" from the Workforce Development Agency, the Ministry of Labor, to gain 2 project managers and 4 staff to implement the plan efficiently.

Theme Activities Are Attractive, Kindergarten Outdoor Teaching Close to the Wetland
The ecological conservation efforts of Wetlands Taiwan extend to Yilan, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. The Alliance is particularly focused on collaborating with private enterprises, evolving from an initial emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to a current focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance). It has kept promoting environment-related topics, such as Water Resources, Recycling Economics, Green Waste, etc. The staff of the Alliance needs to organize the internal resources and proactively connect with the enterprises. If they contact a company with environmental consciousness and counsel with ecology courses, the project manager, Ms. Lu Fang-yi, said, "We finally gained the recognition of corporations that are willing to allocate resources to build hardware, beautify the site, or donate money to support Chouchai Wetlands." The result shows that the long-term efforts of Wetlands Taiwan to promote public awareness of conservation have yielded fruitful consequences.

From the initiation of Wetlands Taiwan to the present, a 20-year period is a long and hard-working time. Wetlands Taiwan has integrated the rich ecological resources and transformed them into 10 thematic activities. There are about 25,000 people who visit Chouchai Wetland Park every year.

Wetlands Taiwan expects to train project staff from the Empowering Employment Program (EEP) to make the public aware of the importance of understanding the ecosystem and the conservation of wetlands. Ms. Lu mentioned there are kindergartens in Zouying that take kids to the wetlands for an environmental education experience. Some even train their teachers for the environmental education lecturer certification.

Break Through Boundaries to Explore Nature; Ecological Conservation Can Also Make Profits
During the process of implementing the "Empowering Employment Program," Wetlands Taiwan focuses on training the talents of environmental education, trip guiding, and DIY courses. "This year, we've tried plant dyeing for the first time, made by our EEP employees who researched and experimented with plant dyeing with mangroves on their own!" Ms. Lu Fang-yi happily shared how her partners brought their hobbies into the job and made diversity on the DIY courses. The secretary general, Mr. Zheng Zhong-jie, said that although there are few employees in the team, he believes that the program's impact is huge. He also noticed the partner who didn't study in the field of ecological conservation has naturally triggered their interest in exploring nature. Everyone so far can help and support each other to make their work more flexible.

To review the civil groups that applied to the Multi-employment and Empowering Employment Program from the Ministry of Labor, Mr. Zheng Zhong-jie found that Wetlands Taiwan stands out as a unique organization focused on ecological conservation. He remarked, "We're also considering whether ecological conservation can be a viable business? However, if we don't try to break through boundaries, we'll stay in the same place. Our experience can be an example for other organizations of the same nature."

Wetlands Taiwan has been looking for the balance of social and business values. Ms. Lu Fang-yi explained that although they applied for the Multi-Employment Promotion Program (the Economic Type) before, they cannot leverage the impact during the process. In 2023, they suspended the program and reviewed the positioning of Chouchai Wetland. This year, they are restarting and applying the "Empowering Employment Program."

"Since implementing the program, revenue has increased from NT$550,000 in the first season to NT$1,200,000 in the second season." The multiplication result in the second quarter is from the professional service of ecological conservation, such as habitat surveys, wetland monitoring, and environmental protection, etc. The result of stable profitability is reflected in the adjustment of business direction and goals.
Official Facebook Page of Wetlands Taiwan (Taiwan Wetlands Conservation Alliance)

Ms. Lu Fang-yi: Doing What Is Good for the Environment and Giving Back to Society

"Respect every creature you see and sometimes do not explain things by your angle." Which are what Ms. Lu Fang-yi learn from Natural Ecology. As a Kaohsiung resident, she put all her efforts into the beautiful green lands. In the activity and human operation management, she mentioned, "We can use the program resource to hire the teachers of children's exploring education, which brings a large benefit to our partners."
The Alliance went through the COVID-19 pandemic and endured staffing shortages. Ms. Lu Fang-yi believes that continuing to do things that benefit the environment brings positive and meaningful contributions to society. (Photo by Lisin Icyang)

 

▲The senior guiding volunteer took the children to explore the land crab in Chouchai Wetland at night. (Provided by Wetlands Taiwan)

▲The children of Wu-jia kindergarten visited the wetland and attentively listened to the explanations given by the guiding staff. (Provided by Wetlands Taiwan)

▲The stone wall in Chouchai Wetland is one of the scenic spots on the guided tour. (Photo by Lisin Icyang)

▲Since the successful restoration of the wetlands, the once-disappeared pheasant-tailed Jacana has returned to Zuoying. (Photo by Lisin Icyang)

Case Story: Multi-Employment Promotion Program
Interviewee: Taiwan Wetlands Conservation Alliance (Wetlands Taiwan)

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Please attribute this article to“Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Labor.”